A thug who spat in the face of rail worker who died with coronavirus could be traced by the ticket he bought just minutes before the attack.
Belly Mujinga, 47, was assaulted by a man who identified himself as being infected with Covid-19 as she worked on the concourse at Victoria Station in London on March 21.
Ms. Mujinga, a mum-of-one who had respiratory problems, died in Barnet Hospital on April 5. Only 10 people were allowed to attend her funeral.
Police are now trying to track down the man who spat in Ms. Mujinga's face, and believe a train ticket bought on the day of the attack could help identify him.
While spitting is classed as common assault, detectives believe they may be unable to conclusively prove that Mrs Mujinga caught the virus from the attacker.
Colleagues say the assailant - described as being in his mid to late 40s - would have been easily caught had the incident been reported straight away.
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A supervisor on duty at the time did not immediately report the incident to British Transport Police who only became aware of the incident weeks later.
A colleague told the Mail on Sunday: "If the police had been called, they would have come straight away, and could have arrested the man inside the station.
"Then, they had a one in ten chance of catching him. Now it’s more like one in a thousand."
The heartbroken co-worker also of Mrs Mujina told the that she called her just hours before her death and gasped: "Pray for me".
A fundraising campaign for the family for Ms. Mujinga's family has topped £30,000 as her union issued demands over staff safety.
A GoFundMe initiative has received more than 1,700 individual donations following the shocked reaction to her death.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said many of its members were now fearful for their safety.
Officials contacted Ms Mujinga's employers, Govia Thameslink Railway, on Thursday, calling for greater protection for workers.
The union said staff should continue to work in ticket offices and not be made to work on concourses, and should be given proper protection.
Workers with underlying medical conditions should be stood down immediately, and any assault on staff should be investigated, the union added.
In an updated statement, British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed they are looking for a man in connection with the incident.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Blackburn said: "I know the death of this member of staff has shocked many of us, and our thoughts remain with her family who are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers as they come to terms with their loss.
"We will always investigate any report of assault thoroughly when we receive it, and it's vital for us to establish the full circumstances behind this incident.
"We are conducting extensive inquiries to help us do so, including exploring possible CCTV opportunities and speaking to key witnesses."
